You have requested a machine translation of selected content from our databases. This functionality is provided solely for your convenience and is in no way intended to replace human translation. Neither SPIE nor the owners and publishers of the content make, and they explicitly disclaim, any express or implied representations or warranties of any kind, including, without limitation, representations and warranties as to the functionality of the translation feature or the accuracy or completeness of the translations.
Translations are not retained in our system. Your use of this feature and the translations is subject to all use restrictions contained in the Terms and Conditions of Use of the SPIE website.
1 August 1990Fiber optically addressed silicon-microresonator pressure sensor
Silicon micromechanical resonators have attracted a great deal of research interest
because of their high sensitivity and the feature that the measurement of the parameter of
interest is in the form of a frequency. The characteristics of optically excited and
interrogated micromechanical resonators have been reported by a number of research
groups but little information is available on the behaviour of these devices as sensors. In
this paper, an all fibre optical system for the measurement of pressure is reported. Metal
coated silicon microresonators have been excited by intensity modulated laser light
delivered through an optical fibre. The vibration of the resonator is detected by an
optical fibre interferometer. Optimum detection can be achieved by adjusting the distance
between the end of the optical fibre and the surface of the silicon bridge. When used as
a pressure sensor, the resonant frequency of the device was observed to change from
62kHz to 130kHz as the pressure varied from -0.6 bar to 1 bar (gauge).